Quest Diagnostics 2014 Annual Report Download - page 33

 

Our operations and reputation may be impaired if we do not comply with privacy laws or information security policies.
 ,QRXUEXVLQHVVZHJHQHUDWHRUPDLQWDLQVHQVLWLYHLQIRUPDWLRQVXFKDVSDWLHQWGDWDDQGRWKHUSHUVRQDOLQIRUPDWLRQ,I
ZHGRQRWDGHTXDWHO\VDIHJXDUGWKDWLQIRUPDWLRQDQGLWZHUHWREHFRPHDYDLODEOHWRSHUVRQVRUHQWLWLHVWKDWVKRXOGQRWKDYH
DFFHVVWRLWRXUEXVLQHVVFRXOGEHLPSDLUHGRXUUHSXWDWLRQFRXOGVXIIHUDQGZHFRXOGEHVXEMHFWWRILQHVSHQDOWLHVDQG
OLWLJDWLRQ
We are subject to numerous political, legal, operational and other risks as a result of our international operations which
could impact our business in many ways.
 $OWKRXJKZHFRQGXFWPRVWRIRXUEXVLQHVVLQWKH8QLWHG6WDWHVRXULQWHUQDWLRQDORSHUDWLRQVLQFUHDVHRXUH[SRVXUHWR
WKHLQKHUHQWULVNVRIGRLQJEXVLQHVVLQLQWHUQDWLRQDOPDUNHWV'HSHQGLQJRQWKHPDUNHWWKHVHULVNVLQFOXGHZLWKRXWOLPLWDWLRQ
 FKDQJHVLQWKHORFDOHFRQRPLFHQYLURQPHQW
 SROLWLFDOLQVWDELOLW\
 VRFLDOFKDQJHV
 LQWHOOHFWXDOSURSHUW\OHJDOSURWHFWLRQVDQGUHPHGLHV
 WUDGHUHJXODWLRQV
 SURFHGXUHVDQGDFWLRQVDIIHFWLQJDSSURYDOSURGXFWLRQSULFLQJUHLPEXUVHPHQWDQGPDUNHWLQJRIVHUYLFHV
 H[FKDQJHFRQWUROV
 DWWUDFWLQJDQGUHWDLQLQJTXDOLILHGHPSOR\HHV
 ORFDOPDUNHWSUDFWLFHV
 H[SRUWDQGLPSRUWFRQWUROV
 ZHDNOHJDOV\VWHPVZKLFKPD\DIIHFWRXUDELOLW\WRHQIRUFHFRQWUDFWXDOULJKWV
 FKDQJHVLQORFDOODZVRUUHJXODWLRQVDQG
 SRWHQWLDOO\ORQJHUSD\PHQWDQGFROOHFWLRQF\FOHV
 ,QWHUQDWLRQDORSHUDWLRQVDOVRUHTXLUHXVWRGHYRWHVLJQLILFDQWPDQDJHPHQWUHVRXUFHVWRLPSOHPHQWRXUFRQWUROVDQG
V\VWHPVLQQHZPDUNHWVWRFRPSO\ZLWKWKH86)RUHLJQ&RUUXSW3UDFWLFHV$FWDQGVLPLODUDQWLFRUUXSWLRQODZVLQQRQ86
MXULVGLFWLRQVDQGWRRYHUFRPHFKDOOHQJHVEDVHGRQGLIIHULQJODQJXDJHVDQGFXOWXUHV
Our operations may be adversely impacted by the effects of natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes,
health pandemics, hostilities or acts of terrorism and other criminal activities.
 2XURSHUDWLRQVPD\EHDGYHUVHO\LPSDFWHGE\WKHHIIHFWVRIQDWXUDOGLVDVWHUVVXFKDVKXUULFDQHVDQGHDUWKTXDNHV
KHDOWKSDQGHPLFVKRVWLOLWLHVRUDFWVRIWHUURULVPRURWKHUFULPLQDODFWLYLWLHV6XFKHYHQWVPD\UHVXOWLQDWHPSRUDU\GHFOLQHLQ
WKHQXPEHURISDWLHQWVZKRVHHNFOLQLFDOWHVWLQJVHUYLFHVRULQRXUHPSOR\HHVDELOLW\WRSHUIRUPWKHLUMREGXWLHV,QDGGLWLRQ
VXFKHYHQWVPD\WHPSRUDULO\LQWHUUXSWRXUDELOLW\WRWUDQVSRUWVSHFLPHQVWRUHFHLYHPDWHULDOVIURPRXUVXSSOLHUVRURWKHUZLVHWR
SURYLGHRXUVHUYLFHV
Our business could be adversely impacted by CMS' adoption of the new coding set for diagnoses.
 &06KDVDGRSWHGDQHZFRGLQJVHWIRUGLDJQRVLVFRPPRQO\NQRZQDV,&'ZKLFKVLJQLILFDQWO\H[SDQGVWKH
FRGLQJVHWIRUGLDJQRVHV7KHQHZFRGLQJVHWLVFXUUHQWO\UHTXLUHGWREHLPSOHPHQWHGE\2FWREHU:HPXVWDGHTXDWHO\
LPSOHPHQWWKHQHZFRGLQJVHW,QDGGLWLRQSK\VLFLDQVPD\IDLOWRSURYLGHDSSURSULDWHFRGHVIRUGHVLUHGWHVWVKLVWRULFDOO\
GHOD\VLQELOOLQJKDYHUHVXOWHGLQLQFUHDVHGFRVWVDQGGHFUHDVHGFROOHFWLRQRISD\PHQW
Our business could be adversely impacted by adoption of new coding for tests.
 7KH$PHULFDQ0HGLFDO$VVRFLDWLRQ&37(GLWRULDO3DQHOLVFRQWLQXLQJLWVSURFHVVRIHVWDEOLVKLQJELOOLQJFRGHVWR
UHSODFHFRGHVWKDWGHVFULEHSURFHGXUHVXVHGLQSHUIRUPLQJPROHFXODUWHVWLQJDQGWR[LFRORJ\WHVWLQJ7KHDGRSWLRQRIWKHVH
FRGHVZLOODOORZSD\HUVWREHWWHUGHWHUPLQHWHVWVEHLQJSHUIRUPHG7KLVKDVOHGDQGFRXOGFRQWLQXHWROHDGWROLPLWHGFRYHUDJH
GHFLVLRQVSD\PHQWGHQLDOVRUQHZSURFHGXUHVRUFRQGLWLRQVIRUSD\PHQW+HDOWKSODQV0HGLFDUHFRQWUDFWRUVDQG0HGLFDLG
SURJUDPVFRQWLQXHWRFRQVLGHURULPSOHPHQWWKHQHZFRGHVDQGLVVXHFRYHUDJHDQGSD\PHQWGHFLVLRQV3D\PHQWOHYHOVIRU
PDQ\QHZFRGHVUHPDLQODUJHO\XQUHVROYHGDQGKHDOWKFDUHSURYLGHUVFRQWLQXHWRDGGUHVVLPSOHPHQWDWLRQRIWKHQHZFRGHV

48(67',$*1267,&6)250.